Upcoiler for strip



Sept. 29, 1970 B. BlRsCHKus 3,531,058

- UPcoILER FOR STRIP Fil-ed Sept. 23, 1968 2 lShee-Shet 1 INVENTOR.

Been MRD Blescmms AGeuT Sept. 29, 1970 B. BlRscHKus UPCOILER FOR STRIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1968 INVENTOR. Bananen B RscHK us BY KAN' Mw United States Patent O ice 3,531,058 UPCOILER FOR STRIP Bernhard Birschkus, Leonding, Austria, assignor to Vereinigte Osterreichische Eisen-und Stahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Linz, Austria Filed Sept. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 761,534 Claims priority, application Austria, Oct. 2, 1967,

Int. Cl. B21c 47 02 U.S. Cl. 242-78.1 19 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An upcoiler comprising a mandrel having pivoted coilengaging means. A holding-down member has an end portion which is engageable with the periphery of the coil. Means is provided to move the end portion, the end portion being held in engagement with the coil when the coil-engaging means is lifted from the coil. A free space for a strap is left on the coil adjacent the holding-down member in the direction o'f the axis of the mandrel.

This invention relates to apparatus for holding down the strip end of a single Wound coil or the strip ends of a plurality of strip coils wound at the same time one beside the other on a common winding mandrel, for use in upcoilers having pressure rollers and/ or strip separators.

Semiautomatic or automatic strapping devices for strip coils are known but these known devices require a tixation, e.g., by adhesive tape, of each strip end on the coil to be strapped before the strapping device is used, or a pressure roller, which is narrow relative to the Width of the coil and holds down the strip end so that the strapping device can embrace the coil beside the pressure roller. Pressure rollers are known which have a cylindrical periphery that is interrupted by annular recesses, or which consist of a plurality of axially spaced roller elements so that the straps can be fed through the annular recesses or between the roller elements and can then be tightened, sealed and cut oi with a suitable tool. The straps must be fed by hand, so that this operation is time-consuming, and the straps are not always in the proper position relative to the existing strip coils. In the case of a plurality of coils of relatively thick strips, the strip ends cannot be held down by adhesive tape because the latter would be cut by the edges and because the lifting usually required to enable a wrapping of the coils with the strap results immediately in a loosening of the strip coils which have not yet been strapped. Besides, a long time required to strap a plurality of strip coils mounted on a common winding mandrel adversely aitects the capacity of the entire strip-handling plant, e.g., of a socalled slitting plant, to a decisive degree, because the operation cannot be continued until all strip coils have been strapped and ejected and the winding mandrel 1s free to receive the leading ends of new strips.

It is thus an object of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide an apparatus which enables a sufficiently wide lifting of strip separators and/ or pressure rollers from the coil or coils without risking a loosening of the convolutions and which also enables a semi-automatic or automatic strapping of each coil while the strip ends are held down.

The invention is essentially characterized by the provision of holding-down members which are provided in a selected number corresponding to the number of coils on the strip-receiving side before the pressure rollers and/or strip separators and which are provided at their end with a pin or roller, which end pins or end rollers are jointly engageable with the coils, remain 1n their engaged position when the pressure rollers and/or strip 3,531,058 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 separators are lifted, and can be lifted individually or jointly, a free space for a strap or a known strap-wrapping device being left on the coil laterally beside each holding-down member end in the direction of the axis of the mandrel. When the winding operation is terminated, the coil or coils are acted upon not only by the pressure rollers and/or strip separators but also by the holding-down members adjacent to the strip ends. When the pressure rollers and/or strip separators are lifted, the convolutions cannot be loosened because the holdingdown members remain in their pressure-applying position to retain the strip ends. The holding-down members are so arranged that an adequate free space for the strap or the strap-Wrapping device is provided beside each holdingdown member. When the first coil has been strapped, the respective holding-down member can be lifted and the strap-wrapping device can be shifted to the next coil so that the need for a complicated and time-consuming manual threading of the straps is eliminated. The number of holding-down members may be exactly the same as the number of coils and the position of the holdingdown members may be exactly adjusted to the width of the respective strip.

In a development of the invention, the holding-down members, or guides for a longitudinally slidable mounting of the holding-down members, are secured to a carrier which is parallel to the mandrel axis so that said holdingdown members or guides are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the carrier, which is pivoted on an axis that is parallel to the mandrel, or slidable in straight guides, so as to enable the holding-down members to be engaged and lifted. The carrier enables an arrangement of the holding-down members and their guides in the desired number and in the desired position and a common engaging movement and, if desired, a common lifting movement.

The carrier may be pivoted or slidably mounted in straight guides independently of the frame which carries the strip separators and/or pressure rollers. lt will be more desirable, however, if the carrier is pivoted by rigid arms to the frame which carries the strip separator and/ or pressure roller and the pivot is displaceable parallel to itself. This displaceability of the pivot enables the holding-down members to be left in their engaged position when the pressure rollers and/or strip separators are lifted, in spite of the pivotal connection between the carrier and the carrying frame.

In a further embodiment of the invention, each of the holding-down members which are longitudinally slidable in the guides is biased by a return spring and adapted to be held against the force of the return spring in the position of engagement with the coils. In this position, the holding-down members are engaged with and forced against the coils by means of the carrier. When it is desired to lift individual holding-down members so that the strap-Wrapping device can be advanced, it is suilicient to release the respective holding-down member so that the latter is lifted from the coil by the return spring and space is provided for the strap-wrapping device.

Alternatively, respective piston-cylinder units may be provided for a longitudinal displacement of the holdingdown members and the piston rods may constitute the holding-down members.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. l is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the end of the winding mandrel and showing an apparatus which is secured to the carrying frame for strip separators and serves to hold down the strip ends of a plurality of strip coils, which are wound at the same time one beside the other on a common winding mandrel.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 1.

A plurality of strip coils 2 are carried one beside the other by the mandrel 1 of an upcoiler, not shown. Line 3 indicates the path of the strips as they are wound up. A common frame 4 carries disc-shaped strip separators 5, which serve to space the strips apart on the winding mandrel 1. When a single strip is wound to form a coil, a pressure roller may be used instead of the strip separators 5. The carrying frame 4 is pivotally movable about a pivot 6, which is parallel to the mandrel, and the frame 4 can be pivotally moved by means of a crank arm 7 and a piston-cylinder unit, not shown, from an operating position in engagement with the coils to the position shown in the drawing. A carrier 9, which is parallel to the mandrel, is pivoted by rigid arms 8 to the frame 4. The pivot pins 10 are secured to a slide block 11, which is slidable in a longitudinal guide 12 of the carrying frame 4. A piston-cylinder unit 14 is pivoted at one end to the carrying frame 4 and at the other end to a lever arm 13 of the carrier 9 and is operable to move the carrier 9.

Guides 15 in a selected number are detachably secured to the carrier 9 for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the carrier. A clamping bar 16 provided with set screws 17 serves to locate the guides 15. Piston-cylinder unit 18, 19 is longitudinally slidably and non-rotatably mounted in the guides 15. Each guide contains a camwheel 21, which is rotatable by a hand lever 20, which is biased by a spiral spring 22 tending to rotate the lever in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 1).

A return spring 23 acts on the holding-down member 18 of the piston-cylinder unit. The holding-down member 18 is held by the camwheel 21 against the force of the return spring in the position in which the holding-down member is advanced against the coil 2. Under the force of the spiral spring 22, the camwheel 21 snaps into a recess 24 of the holding-down member 18. In this position, the hand lever 20 engages a stop 25.

Guides 15 in a number which corresponds to the number of coils 2 and provided with holding-down members 18 are inserted into the carrier 9 and are secured in the latter in such a manner that there is a free space on the respective coil 2 beside the respective pin-shaped end 19 for a strap-wrapping device 26 (FIG. 2) and the strap 27, which is contained in the device 26 and threaded through a tightening, sealing and cutting implement. At the beginning of the winding operation, the carrier 9 has been pivotally moved upwardly about the pivot pins 10 with the aid of the piston-cylinder unit 14 and the slide blocks 11 are disposed at the right-hand end of the longitudinal slot 12 in FIG. l. The holding-down members 18 are locked by the camwheels 21 in a position in which they protrude toward the mandrel 1. Whereas the strip separators 5 are engaged for the winding operation, the pin-shaped ends 19 are disposed over the path 3 of the strips. At the end of the winding operation, the strips are wound up almost as far as to the strip separators 5 in such a manner that the strip ends remain adjacent to the holding-down members.

By means of the piston-cylinder unit 14, the carrier 9 is now pivotally moved to force the pin-shaped ends 19 of the protruding holding-down members 18 onto the strip ends. Thereafter, the carrying frame 4 is lifted to such an extent that the strap-wrapping device 26 provided with the strap 27, or the strap alone, can be introduced between the periphery of the coils and the strip separators. As the carrying frame 4 is lifted, the holding-down members 18 remain in their contact position because the slide blocks 11 can now move to the left in FIG. 1 in the longitudinal slots 12. When the corresponding implement has tightened, sealed, and cut off the strap 27, the lever 20 can be depressed as far as to the lower stop 28 so that the holding-down member 18 resting on the now strapped coil springs up immediately Linder the action of the spring 23 to enable the strap-wrapping device 26 to move to the next coil to be strapped.

Until the last coil has been strapped, the carrying frame 4 and the carrier 9 remain in the position they have assumed at the beginning of the strapping sequence. When the strapping has been terminated, the piston-cylinder unit 14 lifts the carrier 9 and at the same time displaces the slide blocks 11 to their right-hand end position, when the holding-down members 18 have been depressed to such an extent against the pressure of the return springs 23 that the camwheels 21 snap into the recesses 24. At the same time, the carrying frame 4 can be pivotally moved upwardly to such an extent that a conventional push-off shield or a coil car can push olf the completely strapped coils from the mandrel 1.

What is claimed is:

1. An upcoiler having a strip-receiving side and comprising:

a mandrel operable to wind strip to form a coil,

coil-engaging means for engaging said coil as it is Wound,

means for lifting said coil-engaging means from said coil,

a holding-down member mounted on said strip-receiving side of said upcoiler before said coil-engaging means in the direction of movement of said strip to said upcoiler and having an end portion which is engageable with the outside periphery of said coil and adapted to ride thereon as said coil is wound up and to hold down the trailing end of the strip wound on said coil, and

means operable to engage said end portion with said coil, to hold said end portion in engagement with Said coil when said coil-engaging means are lifted from said coil, and to lift said end portion from salu coil,

the arrangement being such that a free space for strap is left on said coil beside said holding-down member in the direction of the axis of said mandrel.

2. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 1, in which said end portion of said holding-down member comprises a pin, which is engageable with the outside periphery of said coil.

3. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 1, in which said free space is adapted to accommodate a strap-wrapping device.

4. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 1, which comprises:

a carrier which is parallel to the axis of said mandrel,

said holding-down member being mounted on said carrier for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of said carrier.

5. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 4, which comprises a guide which is secured to said carrier and in which said holding-down member is longitudinally slidably mounted.

6. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 5, which comprises:

a return spring urging said holding-down member in said guide away from said coil, and

locking means adapted to releasably hold said holding-down member against the force of said return spring in an advanced position, in which said end portion is adapted to engage said coil.

7. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 4, in which said carrier is pivoted on an axis that is parallel to said mandrel to enable said end portion to be engaged with and lifted from the periphery of said coil by means of said carrier.

8. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 4, which cornprises straight guide means, in which said carrier is slidably mounted t0 enable said end portion to be engaged with and lifted from the periphery of said coil by means of said carrier.

9. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 4, which comprises:

a frame carrying said coil-engaging means, and

rigid arms and pivot means pivotally connecting said carrier to said frame,

said pivot means being displaceable parallel to itself.

10. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 1, which comprises a piston-cylinder unit operable to effect a longitudinal movement of said holding-down member.

11. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 10, in which said piston-cylinder unit comprises a piston rod, which constitutes said holding-down member.

12. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 1, in which said mandrel is operable to lWind a plurality of strips so as to form a plurality of coils one beside the other on said mandrel at the same time,

said coil-engaging means comprise coil separators for laterally spacing said coils apart,

a plurality of said holding-down members equal in number to said coils are provided,

the end portions of said holding-down members are engageable with the peripheries of respective ones of said coils,

means are provided which are operable to jointly engage said end portions of all said holding-down members with said coils, to hold said end portions in engagement with said coils when said coil separators are lifted from said coils, and to lift said end portions from said coils, and

the arrangement is such that a free space for strap is left on each of said coils beside the respective holding-down member in the direction of the axis of said mandrel.

13. Au upcoiler as set forth in claim 12, Which comprises means for individually lifting said end portions from said coils.

14. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 12, which comprises means for jointly lifting said end portions from said coils.

15. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 12, in which each of said free spaces is adapted to accommodate a strap-Wrapping device.

16. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 12, which comprises:

a carrier which is parallel to the axis of said mandrel,

said holding-down members being mounted on said carrier for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of said carrier.

17. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 16, which comprises:

a plurality of guides which are secured to said carrier and in which respective ones of said holding-down members are longitudinally slidably mounted.

18. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 17, which comprises:

a plurality of return springs, each of which urges one of said holding-down members in its guide away from the respective coil, and

a plurality of locking means, each of which is adapted to releasably hold one of said holding-down members against the force of the respective return spring in an advanced position, in which said end portion of said holding-down member is adapted to engage an associated coil on said mandrel.

19. An upcoiler as set forth in claim 12, which comprises a plurality of piston-cylinder units, each of which is operable to effect a longitudinal movement of one of said holding-down members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,328,989 7/1967 Stephan 24278.l X

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

